Anteneh's Carbon Capturing Space Rocket

Team Leader

Anteneh Gashaw

Solution Overview

Solution Name:

One-line solution summary:

an inverted parachute installed at bottom of space rocket to capture the released black carbon from the combustion of Kerosene and oxygen.

Pitch your solution.

This project is about building an inverted parachute installed at bottom of space rocket to capture the released black carbon from the combustion of Kerosene and oxygen.

What specific problem are you solving?

According to resources, when a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket blasts off on a plume of white smoke, hot gases shoot out of its 27 engines, creating a thrust equal to 1.7 million pounds at full power which equal to 18 Boeing 747 aircraft. Upon reaching orbit, the world’s heaviest operational rocket will have burned about 400 metric tons of kerosene and emitted more carbon dioxide in a few minutes than an average car would in more than two centuries. The total carbon footprint from the Kerosene and Oxygen is around 1115 Tones; the annual carbon footprint of 278 average world citizens. Besides greenhouse gas pollution, kerosene-fueled rockets transport large amounts of black carbon, also known as soot, into the upper layers of the atmosphere. There, it remains for a long time, creating an umbrella that may add to global warming.

What is your solution?

This project is about building an inverted parachute installed at bottom of space rocket to capture the released black carbon from the combustion of Kerosene and oxygen. The distance between nozzle of the space rocket and canopy of the inverted parachute depends up on engine performance of the space rocket; the more combustion of Kerosene and oxygen, the higher the distance. If the inverted parachute is too close to nozzle of the space rocket, the burning flame will destroy it and if the inverted parachute is too far from the space rocket, it cannot effectively capture the released black carbon in the atmosphere because of wind factor. For that reason the length of the suspension lines of the inverted parachute are adjustable at space rocket linkage by rotary adjustment system which enable the inverted parachute to capture the released black carbon from the lower atmosphere all the way to upper because the pressure of the burning flame and Newton third law will force the black carbon stick to canopy of the inverted parachute. The only drawback from this mechanism is the drag by the parachute containing the captured black carbon which is fraction of the thrust capacity of the rocket.

Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?

SPACE X

NASA

INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

Which dimension of the Challenge does your solution most closely address?

Create scalable economic opportunities for local communities, including fishing, timber, tourism, and regenerative agriculture, that are aligned with thriving and biodiverse ecosystems

Explain how the problem you are addressing, the solution you have designed, and the population you are serving align with the Challenge.

To be addressed

In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

What is your solution’s stage of development?

Prototype: A venture or organization building and testing its product, service, or business model.

Explain why you selected this stage of development for your solution.

To be addressed

Who is the Team Lead for your solution?

Anteneh Gashaw